Layoffs Sink Stock Prices, Says Study

A look at reliable indicators that the bear market is ascendant

(NEWSER) - After reaching a high in mid-July, the Dow has taken a sharp downturn. But how do you know when the bloom is off the rose? Here are Money magazine's five signs that usually precede a fall:

1. Sudden surge in oil prices
2. Treasury yields run up

(NEWSER) - US stocks dipped this morning, following steep declines in Europe and Asia as distress over the expanding credit crisis heightened. The Dow Jones sank over 100 points this morning, and the S&P was off nearly 0.8% after erasing its entire year's gains yesterday. "Everyone is waiting for the other shoe to drop,'' said an investment strategist. More»

Port city turning into financial capital

(NEWSER) - Hong Kong is in decline as Asia's premier shipping hub, but the dip in dockyard activity is nothing to fret over, Newsweek reports. The city is on the brink of becoming one of the world's financial capitals—on par with London and New York. Economic shifts are reconfiguring the political landscape as well: a rising middle class is clamoring for cleaner air and universal suffrage. More»

Ribeyes are grreat predictors of business performance, says Daniel Gross

(NEWSER) - High-end steak houses like Ruth's Chris and Peter Luger are a great place to study trends affecting the US economy, argues Slate's Daniel Gross. The price of sirloin, for instance, reflects the recent spike in energy prices, as demand for ethanol has raised the price of corn, which is what Gross calls a major "input" into that side of beef. More»

Investors demanded downsizing; now the pressure's on raising revenue

(NEWSER) - Citigroup will cut 17,000 jobs in an attempt to close the gap between its revenue, up 7% last year, and its expenses, up 15%. The two-year cost-cutting plan comes after shareholders demanded major changes, but analysts agree that lowering expenses is only the first step. Upping revenue is the next. More»